Getting motivated in fitness

by frank-stuart

20APR

How often have you promised to do more exercise but never followed through, or started an exercise regime with loads of enthusiasm but given up after a few weeks? The story of joining a gym and only going for the first month or so is a familiar one, so how can you maintain your motivation to exercise? There are in fact several techniques that may help you get more excited about fitness, and actually keep up a fitness program. Here are a few of them…

Stop the excuses

Having no time is a common excuse for not exercising, but exercising does not have to be time-consuming. Only 30 minutes to an hour each day could be enough to significantly increase your fitness and energy levels. Why not get out of bed a little bit earlier? After a couple of weeks of regular exercise, you’ll find that laborious chores, whether they are physical or mental, are generally much easier.

Write it down

Often, the simple act of writing your goals down can boost your motivation to exercise. Make them short-term goals, so you are consistently crossing them off and getting that sense of satisfaction. Don’t be unrealistic with your goals – major ones won’t be achieved overnight. Instead of thinking about your ultimate goal, break it down into smaller ones, so you are not looking too far ahead. It can also be helpful to write down a weekly exercise regime, to help you stick to it. Why not write all your daily commitments down? You may feel a greater sense of having control of your life.

Mix it up

The same old routines, day in, day out, can get monotonous. It’s human nature to get bored with repetition so try to vary the types of exercise you do. Not only does it help make exercise more interesting, it may be more beneficial because you are generally working different muscles. Swimming, cycling and walking are all great forms of exercise.

Exercise in a group

Finding a group to exercise with can be a great way to keep your motivation to exercise going, and it can make exercising much more fun. Firstly, there’s the social aspect of being part of a group, which can help make people more motivated to attend regularly. Another huge benefit of working in a group is that you have the encouragement and support of your peers. A bit of encouragement can greatly increase your enthusiasm for training. Exercising in a group also makes you more accountable. If you don’t attend a session, you’re not only letting yourself down, you’re letting your group down.

Eat healthy

Exercise and good nutrition go hand-in-hand. It can be more difficult to achieve your goals if you are not working on both. Make sure you have breakfast, as it’s considered to be the most important meal of the day and essential for maintaining good energy levels throughout the day. Don’t eat too much of one type of food – take everything in moderation and don’t necessarily think of carbohydrates as the enemy. Carbohydrates are vital for energy, so make sure you get enough “good carbs”, such as grains, fruit and vegetables. Lastly, try to limit “treats” such as chocolates and cakes as these tend to give only a short energy burst, before making you feel just a bit lethargic – and perhaps not so motivated to exercise!